Re printed From April 1960
"High Performance Polara retains Dodge rugged reliability"
Car at a Glance:
| Things we like:
Smooth, rapid acceleration,
Good Brakes,
|
Things we don't like:
Poor installation
of trim,
|
Ruggedness, the ability to stand the wear and tear of every day use, has become a big factor in the public's appraisal of a product they are preparing to buy. Most of our early automobiles were extremely rugged - they had to be just to withstand the vibration of their huge solid-mounted engines, poor springing, hard tires, and pavement comprised of a series of chuck holes laid end-to-end. Among the most rugged of these pioneering motor vehicles was the Dodge. Some of these cars of World War 1 vintage were still running strong in the era before World War II.
While highways and tires have improved, the fantastic growth of the American motor car is due largely to its dependability, nationwide service facilities and ease of operation, but ruggedness is still a big factor. Today we have more interior space in which to carry heavier passenger loads, speeds are higher, bumps are lower but we hit them faster, and we travel at a great deal farther per year than we did 30 years ago.
The Dodge Polara
four-door hardtop tested by MOTOR TREND was equipped with the
D-500 engine package, which is the ram-inducted version of the 383
cubic inch OVH V8. This is a lot of powerplant, but the Polara unit
body/frame construction is plenty rugged and stands up well under the performance
capabilities of this engine. Standard engine usually furnished with
this car is the same displacement and compression ratio (10 to 1) as the
ram-tuned option and can be coupled to a three-speed manual transmission
with a choice of 3.54 to 1 or 3.31 to 1 rear axle ratio. Basic price
of the Automatic three-speed torqueflite transmission will cost an
extra $210.70 with a choice of either 2.93 to 1 or 3.31 to 1 rea-axle ratios.
We thought it best to bring out these details to avoid confusion
and point out the terrific bargain of the D-500 package at $395.20, which
includes the Torqueflite automatic, the only transmission available with
the ram-tuned manifold. Rear end ratio is standard 3.31 to 1 and
optional 2.93 to 1. There are no complaints with the handling of
the Polara, and the Sure-Grip differential at $49.70 makes good use of
power available at the rear wheels.
| Highway
touring in a car with such power is quiet, effortless and exhilarating,
especially with the extra margin of passing acceleration even at
high cruising speeds. Wind noise is not excessive, but gaps around
the doors steer annoying drafts on feet and ankles even with the windows
closed. This was a strange thing about this test car.
The body was stiff and rugged. No rattles developed, and the doors
opened and closed well but they did not fit. Similar discrepancies
were apparent in most of the chrome strips and the stainless steel binding
around windshield and rear window. They were poorly applied and did
not fit well. Tighter production quality control is clearly indicated.
Horsepower and economy do not exactly go hand-in-hand when pulling large passenger vehicles at high speed. The Dodge Polara requires premium fuel but at normal cruising speeds does not gulp the gas one would expect. At steady speeds with our 1/10 - gallon fuel test bottle, we were able to stretch a lot of distance out of that little container, but anyone who drives a car with such power potential is certainly not going to miss the thrill of having so much acceleration under the throttle foot. The
MOTOR TREND staffers who drove this car could not resist the go....go....go
temptation either. We took the car over into the straight flat stretches
of Nevada highway for the really fast road cruising, knowing full well
we could easily stir up a citation under California's newly enforced
65-mph limit.
|
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One 200-mile stretch of this road had practically no traffic, only slight grades, and nothing but barely detectable curves, providing a chance to check stability, comfort, driving ease and mileage at cruising speeds in the 85-90 mph range. Under these conditions the car tracked very well, noise level was so low that the speeds were hard to judge by sound alone, and fuel consumption was just a shade under 14 mpg.
In the mountains there is sufficient power to get about the same mileage as in fast highway cruising, but the shift-down braking and acceleration advantages of driving such roads with the transmission in D-2 will cut fuel mileage if such a driving technique is followed.
Unseen suspension changes improve steering and handling over last year's model with some softening of the feel of the road through the power steering system, whose lively 3.5 turns lock-to-lock ratio has been retained.
We
like the Dodge Polara with its D-500 package and solid construction, and
hope that stepped up quality control will smooth up some of the raw edges
we saw on the first-off models. It's a hard car to beat in its class.
 1. BRAKES Total-Contact drum hydraulics, identical front and rear, have bonded linings. Effective lining area is 230 sq. ins., pretty fair for 2-ton car. Single-stop deceleration is excellent (60-0 mph in 4.3 seconds in 180 ft). Repeated stopping results in fade, since 11 in. cast iron drums are pretty snug inside 14 in. wheels shielded by 8 in. wide tires. Power brake pedal has only 4.6 in. of travel ( 6 in. non-power), but since leg effort is doubled by engine vacuum,. it does not have to be depressed very far. 2. ENGINE, TRANSMISSION The big ( same as DeSoto ) ram-inducted 383 cu-in. engine and 3 speed torqueflite transmission make a pretty potent package. It seems a shame to run the car at anything under 100 MPH (indicated 120). The cubic inches give strong low-end torque, tuned intake provides a surging mid-range for passing, and the high speed cam peaks 340 HP around 100 MPH! The close ratio (1.43:1) kickdown gear gives plenty of punch for close-distance passing at moderate rpm. 3. FRONT SUSPENSION Independent, with unequal, non-parallel arms supported by torsion bars, dampened by direct acting shocks, stablizer bar. There is a combination of comfortable ride and seemingly unlimited cornering ability, especially on sweepers where long wheelbase is not a liability ( as in tight turns ). On long, undulating straights we did notice a tendency for the front end to become unweighted in excess of true 100 MPH, but directional stability is excellent. With power steering, ratio is reduced so that little wheel movement causes a lot of turning. It's an effort saver, but wheel feel is that it is being detached from the car. 4. BEHIND THE WHEEL The feeling must be akin to piloting a space ship, with a complex looking panel disguising a few simple instruments and controls. The out-of-round steering wheel is very comfortable, gives legroom under it and vision over it. Whatever is lacking can be made up by jacking up the six-way power seat ($95.65). Wrap-around windshield is as distortion free as any similar type. Generally, everything is well at hand for comfortable and very pleasant driving in town or on the highway. 5. SEATING, FRONT AND REAR Seats are set quite close to floor level, giving a feel of being part of the car, comfortable under moderate lean or hard cornering. Vision is helped by wheel shape. The full-power seat is a worthwhile option if there is more than one driver. Front hip and legroom are spacious, effect of tunnel hump is negligible. Swivel seats ( $87.15 ) are a help for women entering and especially exiting, but men tend not to bother using them. Rear seat of the 4-door has enough room for 3. Entry and exit are fair through low doors. 6. REAR SUSPENSION Semi-elliptical leaf springs are mounted well out, highly unsymmetrical to reduce acceleration squat. End result is a good ride with enough stiffness to keep car reasonably flat under most conditions. Springs do not bottom easily, though huge body overhang frequently drags curb. Unfortunately, springs must take huge (460 lb-ft ) torque, suffer from torque reaction. At end of 1/4 mile acceleration, for example, rear fenders were still tilted though sure-grip differential (another worthwhile option ) reduced wheelspin on unloaded wheel. 7. BODY DESIGN A combination of fast lines and sturdiness is the overall styling motif, though there is certainly room to question the reason for such big fins. They loom quite prominently in the rear-view mirror. This year's unit construction adds a torsional stiffness old models didn't have ( actually, chassis and body used to be quite flexible in turns ). Also, there is the feeling of oneness - that the car is one piece. Unfortunately, the workmanship of the assemblers must have been void of pride. Fenders did not line up, and doors suffered from "gaposis". Even trim was not aligned, and many pieces were loose. A shame to detract from a well-designed, excellent-handling, high-speed go-er by shoddiness.
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( end of article - hope you enjoyed )
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